Dark Souls II

[SethMode]

even the gamespot review didnt provide any review of anything new. i got the impression that it was basically the same game. he only mentioned that were a ton of things he could talk about.

other than that the only thing i got was how they took away certain grinding aspects in favor of more exploration....does that mean a bigger world?

im not at all a fan of the brutal difficulty in this game - its just not my cup of tea

Wait, between this post and the previous post, I am confused -- do you want the game or not? One post you make the Gamespot review sound like it sold you on the game, the other you make it sound like the review is kind of bad.

From what I've read (and at the risk of JimLeavy materializing, I thought that the Polygon review was the best I've read thus far), the world is larger, there are more bosses, the game is more accessible, but also in a lot of ways more challenging. The translation is also better (that part is huge IMO).

Sounds like they have fixed a lot of framerate issues too. It sounds like it just plays a lot better in general.

Finally, the games aren't for everyone. Although I don't know if I consider them brutally difficult by any means. They just require a degree of patients and constantly learning from your mistakes, which most modern games no longer ask for. I'd say Super Meat Boy is brutally difficult. The Souls games are more...brutally witholding of information.

[Maynard]

Wait, between this post and the previous post, I am confused -- do you want the game or not? One post you make the Gamespot review sound like it sold you on the game, the other you make it sound like the review is kind of bad.

From what I've read (and at the risk of JimLeavy materializing, I thought that the Polygon review was the best I've read thus far), the world is larger, there are more bosses, the game is more accessible, but also in a lot of ways more challenging. The translation is also better (that part is huge IMO).

Sounds like they have fixed a lot of framerate issues too. It sounds like it just plays a lot better in general.

Finally, the games aren't for everyone. Although I don't know if I consider them brutally difficult by any means. They just require a degree of patients and constantly learning from your mistakes, which most modern games no longer ask for. I'd say Super Meat Boy is brutally difficult. The Souls games are more...brutally witholding of information.

his review was great and what made me want to buy it. i like his reviews and you can hear his passion for the game...it was a selling point. he just didnt mention many of the new features other than to say there was so much more he could talk about for hours, but can only say so much in a 5 minute video.

i played 1, but not enough to make me feel this is a retread, so for me it would be worth playing if i could get into its brutal gameplay. but for fans of the series, whats new to make it worth buying....that was the point i was making

in the end, i probably wont get the game. as great as it is i just dont like that difficulty

[JayDizzle]

Got my copy.

With inFamous, this and my backlog, I should be set until Destiny hits.

Now to look forward to a lot of cursing and rage quitting for a while.

[padman59]

I'm liking what I've played so far. I was a bit concerned hearing that you start with only one use of the Estus flask, but I'm already up to three with a little exploration. The healing stones seem to drop an an ok rate as well.

I don't know how far I'll get before I take it back to the redbox, but I know that it's going to be tough waiting another month to play it on PC.

[JayDizzle]

Having never truly played DS1 or Demon's Souls, going into this was janky at best.

Early Game:

 

Those starter pigmies at the beginning kicked my ass until I found out the game gives you starter weapons (unless you choose the last Class/Gift I think).

I ventured around until I found a ladder leading up to an ambush of Hollow soldiers and what looked to be a dead knight slumped over on a tree.

This being Dark Souls II, I take a swing with my sword, pissed the guy off and ended up getting hacked to death because his range is crazy and I'm still a nub.

[padman59]

I'm guessing this is a glitch considering how it went down, but my character turned human after I was summoned as a phantom and immediately sent back when the host entered the boss gate. I kind of feel bad for the guy who summoned me since he was expecting help.

Having never truly played DS1 or Demon's Souls, going into this was janky at best.

Early Game:

 

Those starter pigmies at the beginning kicked my ass until I found out the game gives you starter weapons (unless you choose the last Class/Gift I think).

I ventured around until I found a ladder leading up to an ambush of Hollow soldiers and what looked to be a dead knight slumped over on a tree.

This being Dark Souls II, I take a swing with my sword, pissed the guy off and ended up getting hacked to death because his range is crazy and I'm still a nub.

 

He drops a nice weapon if you beat him. It's definitely good enough to get through the early areas.

[JayDizzle]

I'm guessing this is a glitch considering how it went down, but my character turned human after I was summoned as a phantom and immediately sent back when the host entered the boss gate. I kind of feel bad for the guy who summoned me since he was expecting help.

 

He drops a nice weapon if you beat him. It's definitely good enough to get through the early areas.

It's the next thing on my to-do list.

I plan on going back to the previous area with it to see if I can find any more goodies.

[padman59]

Something I forgot to mention earlier, you can change your character's gender by entering a coffin in the tutorial area. It seems like an odd thing to have in the game, but I'm guessing there might be quests/areas/something that depend on your gender. I'm hoping it's a bit more than just being able to use gender specific armor.

[Maynard]

does it feel any easier? it supposed to be easier for the first 15 hours or so

[padman59]

does it feel any easier? it supposed to be easier for the first 15 hours or so

For where I am, it's a bit easier. The enemies so far are pretty forgiving, but it feels like you'll need to have more precision to be successful than the previous two. It also seems like enemy attacks have a higher chance of stunning you and making it hard to evade once you've been hit. I can see the health penalty when you die repeatedly making the game very difficult later on as well.

[JayDizzle]

It's the next thing on my to-do list.

I plan on going back to the previous area with it to see if I can find any more goodies.

So I got the item in question.

Pushed on-ward after because hey, Adventure.

Now I'm sitting next to my first merchant, wonder just how the hell I can level up my character so I can get to use some of the gear I picked up.

 

It's a Dexterity problem.

I'm running a Knight build and tonight I found out about gear degradation.

Now I either suffer through using gear that I'm not scaled to (the DEX problem; mainly down by a point or two) or using my now-broken broadsword that I've had since the beginning.

Need to find a blacksmith or at least some stuff to help me repair my Broken gear that won't be fixed via Bonfire.

[padman59]

So I got the item in question.

Pushed on-ward after because hey, Adventure.

Now I'm sitting next to my first merchant, wonder just how the hell I can level up my character so I can get to use some of the gear I picked up.

 

It's a Dexterity problem.

I'm running a Knight build and tonight I found out about gear degradation.

Now I either suffer through using gear that I'm not scaled to (the DEX problem; mainly down by a point or two) or using my now-broken broadsword that I've had since the beginning.

Need to find a blacksmith or at least some stuff to help me repair my Broken gear that won't be fixed via Bonfire.

You have to go back to Majula and talk to the lady who gave you the Estus Flask to level up. If you really want to know about the blacksmith...

 

he's also in Majula, but you have to buy a key from the shopkeep in the Forest of Fallen Giants because the dumbass got locked out of his own place.

[JayDizzle]

You have to go back to Majula and talk to the lady who gave you the Estus Flask to level up. If you really want to know about the blacksmith...

 

he's also in Majula, but you have to buy a key from the shopkeep in the Forest of Fallen Giants because the dumbass got locked out of his own place.

I have...

 

The key due to reading a note on the floor saying to.

While I'm happy it's not a bad purchase (I got the Stone that starts with a 'P' I think as well), I gotta stop reading the hints.

They've kept me alive but I feel like I'm cheating if I know what's coming.

I'm heading back to Majula tonight after work then...

[padman59]

Most of the bosses so far are pretty mild. I've only been stymied by two so far, but those seemed to be designed to have more than one person fighting. I managed to get through one of them by myself, but I called in some backup for the other.

Leveling is also pretty easy compared to the previous Souls games. The cost seems to rise at a steady, flat-rate instead of exponentially.

[JayDizzle]

Most of the bosses so far are pretty mild. I've only been stymied by two so far, but those seemed to be designed to have more than one person fighting. I managed to get through one of them by myself, but I called in some backup for the other.

Leveling is also pretty easy compared to the previous Souls games. The cost seems to rise at a steady, flat-rate instead of exponentially.

 

Heard from a GB Bombcast that eventually you can exhaust enemies during the game.

They haven't used the Acetic that makes enemies harder as a possible way to refill the world.

But if you can do that AND ONLY THAT to get the world back to a soul-harvesting state in the early game after losing Souls... that sucks.